LeBron, Wade named All-Star starters

Had the center been voted into the Feb. 17 game in Houston, the Heat would have become the first team since the 1990 Los Angeles Lakers to have three All-Star starters. It had been a foregone conclusion Miami forward LeBron James and guard Dwayne Wade would be named starters, and that was officially announced Thursday night.

For James, who led the Eastern Conference with more than 1.58 million votes, it will be his ninth straight All-Star start in his ninth overall game. For Wade, who led all East guards in the voting with more than 1.04 million votes, it will be his eighth start in a row in his ninth overall game.

In voting for frontcourt players, Bosh finished fourth, behind James, New York forward Carmelo Anthony and Boston center Kevin Garnett. This was despite a last-ditch campaign by the Heat and James and Wade, who took to Twitter to get Bosh named a starter.

In the end, it’s hard to say Bosh, who was vying for his second career All-Star start, deserved to make it. Bosh is averaging 17.8 points but just 7.1 rebounds, in line to be a career low. Garnett actually averaging 7.0 rebounds per game, but on a 36-minute basis, Garnett is averaging 8.6 to Bosh’s 7.7.

Bosh received 528,014 votes to 553,222 for Garnett in the battle for a third and final frontcourt spot. More deserving candidates than either Garnett or Bosh were New York center Tyson Chandler and Chicago center Joakim Noah, a former University of Florida star.

The East’s other starting guard will be Boston’s Rajon Rondo. The West starters will be guards Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, who led all players with more than 1.59 million votes, and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and frontcourt players Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City, Dwight Howard of the Lakers and Blake Griffin of the Clippers.

The Heat fell short of becoming the first team with three All-Star starters since the Lakers had guard Magic Johnson and forwards James Worthy and A.C. Green in 1990. That game was played in Miami.

But Bosh, whose only All-Star start came with Toronto in 2007, is expected to still make his eighth consecutive game. Reserves will be announced next Thursday.